Laudrup deflects future talk

24 January 2014 02:32

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Swansea manager Michael Laudrup avoided directly addressing his future at the end of a difficult week for the Welsh club.

The Swans sit just three points above the Barclays Premier League relegation zone and the revelation that police were called to the club's training ground after a heated exchange between Chico Flores and Garry Monk has done little to lift the mood ahead of Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round trip to Birmingham.

Laudrup's future has also been questioned and it has been widely speculated he will leave the Liberty Stadium at the end of the current campaign, although the Dane has a contract through to the end of next season.

But the 49-year-old insisted the club's current predicament means no-one can yet look beyond the end of this term.

He said: "How many times was I asked about that last year?

"I don't want to go into it again. I tried to answer it last year and the questions came week after week.

"It is not frustrating but with our situation I think no-one, no player nor manager, should think about next season, they should only think about this season for obvious reasons.

"Of course you have to ask questions, but it's about the present not the future."

The incident between defenders Monk and Flores has led some to question the unity and togetherness of the Swansea squad as they face a potential relegation dogfight.

Laudrup reiterated that arguments between team-mates are commonplace but said he had spoken to the pair, although no decision has been taken on whether the duo will face punishment, with the club unlikely to make public any potential reprimand.

The Swansea boss said: "It is never good when you have incidents but I played many years myself and it happens sometimes for one reason or another. You always read about them when things are not going well on the pitch with results.

"Both players, particularly Chico, wanted to close this. We have to look forward and say sorry. We have to move on, that's the most important thing. These things always come in difficult moments, and we are in a difficult moment, we have to admit that.

"If you win four in a row, even if team-mates raise voices and say not nice things to each other, it is not a story as there are so many positive things to talk about.

"I don't want to say it's no problem when people get into each other but you have to leave it and move on. It can happen when your pulse is up, you say things and react differently, you can have less patience when someone is telling you something.

"I have spoken to them both and I believe in dialogue. When people are back with a normal pulse like all of us here we can discuss it. People have to get calm again."

Laudrup refused to comment on a potential move for Bolton forward David Ngog, but made it clear he does not want to sell Neil Taylor after Fulham made a bid, believed to be around Â£4million, for the left-back, whose misfortune in breaking his ankle last season has been compounded by Ben Davies taking his first-team place.

He said: "Players are part of a group and it is not about the interests of Neil Taylor or Michael Laudrup but the interest of Swansea City and right now - because of the number of games we have plus the injury situation in a small group - it means if Neil goes we need another one.

"If we let him go and something happens to Ben then everyone would kill me. The only one satisfied would be Neil. But I do understand his position because he wants to play and recover his position in the national team, too. If we get another player in then perhaps my view would be different but it is difficult at this stage."